Soap dispenser



N. S. HILLYARD SOAP DISPENSER Feb. 13, 1934.

Filed Feb. 15

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ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFKIE l and a germicide, ordrying fluid, such as alcohol.

An important feature is that the flow of fluid from the containers iscontrolled by foot-operated valves so that no portion of the device needbe touched by the hands of the person using the device, and as muchfluid can be taken at a time from a container as the user desires, theamount being limited only by the capacity of the containers.

Among other useful features of the device are the telescopic swivelingdispensing tubes which permit the user to position the delivery end ofthe tubes to suit his convenience, and to so swing the tubes-that thecontents of either container can be dispensed without the user changingpositions, or changing the position of the dispenser as would be thecase were the dispensing tubes rigidly mounted.

7 The upward inclination of the tube also precludes dripping of thefluid after the valve is closed.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I haveprovided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which areillustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my device with parts broken away and insection.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the upper portion ofthe device with partsbroken away and in 40 section showing the valve operating means.

' Fig. 3 'is a top plan view of the base, showing the manner of mountingthe treadles.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental view with parts in section, showing thetelescopic arrangement of the dispensing tubes.

Referring-to the drawing in detail:

1 represents a base which is preferably hollow and which is preferablyprovided with a boss 2 at its top in which one end of a tube or standard3 issecured.

Within the base 1 is a lug 4 to which levers 5 are pivotally secured.These levers are bent and extend through slots 6 in the base, and ca'rryplates 7 at their outer ends. My purpose in bending the levers 5 is togive them a relatively wide spacing at their outer ends and preventaccidental operation of both levers at the same time.

Pivotally secured to the levers 5 are yokes or bifurcated ends 8 of rods9 which extend upwardly through the standard 3.

Carried by the upper end of the standard 3 is a top or plate 10 providedwith a central boss 11 carrying a plate 12 through which the rods 9extend, the plate being held in position by a cap or nut 13.

Formed on the under face of the plate 10 are circular ribs 14 whichsurround translucent or transparent members 15 which form thecontainers.

A web 16 is located in the standard 3 near its top and serves as anabutment for one end of a coil spring or resilient member 17 surroundingeach of the rods 9. The upper ends of the members 17 contact collars 18carried by the rods 9 and thus impart an upward thrust to these rods.

Located on the upper ends of the rods 9 are bifurcated members 19 towhich one end of rocker arms 20 are pivotallyv secured. The rocker armsare provided intermediate their ends with an ear 21 which is pivotallymounted between ears 22 carried by the cap or plate 10 and which arelocated on opposite sides of the boss 11. The opposite ends of therocker arms 20 are pivotally connected to the upper ends 23 of valverods 24.

Extending through the top 10 and centrally of each container is a tube25 which has its lower end secured in a boss 26 carried by the bottoms27 of the container. A nut 28 is secured to the top of the pipe 25 and,upon being tightened, clamps the member 15 between the top and bottom.In order to assure leak-proof sealing between the ends of the member 15and the top and bottom of each container, gaskets 29 are employed.

The valve rod 24 extends through the nut 28 and pipe 25, and has itslower end made conical as at 30, which normally rests on a valve seat 31formed in the bottom 27 of each receptacle and from which a passage 32leads. Secured in the bottom 27 and communicating with the passage 32 isa downwardly extending nipple 33 having a flange 34 on its lower end onwhich a coupling nut 35 is rotatably carried. The nut 35 is secured tothe end 36 of one portion 37 of a dispensing tube38. A sleeve 39 islocated in the front end of the portion 37 and slidably receives thetube 40. A packing nut 41 is carried by the front end of the tube 37and, together with the packing 42, prevents leakage of fluid at thispoint. The outer end of the tube 40 is bent downwardly to form a spout43 and prevent fluid from running back along the outside of thedispensing tube 38. A metering jet 44 having a head is secured in theinner end and not only regulates the flow of fluid through the tube 40but also acts as a stop by having its head contact one end of the sleeve39, which will prevent the tube 40 from being entirely withdrawn fromthe tube 3'7.

Attention is directed to the fact that the dispensing tubes 38 inclineupwardly from the containers. The purpose of this is to halt the discharge of fluid from these tubes as soon as the valves close. Thebottoms are provided with passages 45 which are normally closed by thevalve rod 24, but when the valve is unseated these passages permit fluidfrom the container to flow to the passage 32 and in this way the fluidreaches a dispensing tube. The passages 45 and 32 constitute an outletport for the container controlled by the valve 24.

The bottoms 2'7 are also provided with circular upstanding flanges 46which surround the members 15 and with brackets 4'? which partiallyencircle the standard 3, and are secured thereto by any suitable meanssuch as screws 48. My purpose in having individual bottoms for eachcontainer is that should one of the members 15 be damaged it can bereplaced without disturbing the remaining container, and again, thisconstruction permits the clamping of the members between theirrespective bottoms and the top regardless of any slight variation intheir length, which could not be done if both the top and bottom were ofone piece, as either the top or bottom would be sprung in the tighteningand a leak-proof contact could not be made between it and the members15.

The top is provided with a filler opening 49 which is closed by a plug50.

When it is desired to use the contents of either receptacle the properplate 7 on one of the levers 5 is depressed with the foot which movesthe lever 5 thus selected downwardly, moving the rod 9 carried therebyin the same direction. Ihis will swing the rocker arm 20 on its pivot,raise the valve rod 24 and uncover the passages 45, permitting fluid toflow from the container to the passage 32 and through this passage tothe dispensing tube 38. The flow of fluid will continue as long as theplate 7 is depressed, and, on removal of the foot from the plate, thespring 17 will return all of the parts previously moved to their normalposition, thus closing ofi the passages 45 which will halt the furtherdelivery of fluid from the dispensing tube almost instantly and thusprevent waste of the fluid.

When using the device it is first placed so that one of the dispensingtubes is over the lavatory; then the other dispensing tube is swiveledand arranged so that it will also extend over the same lavatory. All ofthis arranging is done by the surgeon before he commences to wash hishands. One of the containers contains liquid surgical soap and the othera germicide, such as alcohol. The surgeon can now wash his hands and useeither soap or alcohol without touching the dispenser with his hands, asall of the dispensing is controlled by the foot levers, and the surgeoncan pass to the operating room with the assurance that his hands are assterile as it is humanly possible to make them because nothing lever isdepressed and no pumping action, re-.

sulting in a series of squirts of fluid, is necessary.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A soap dispenser comprising a base, a hollow standard carriedthereby, a pair of containers carried by the upper end of said standard,an outlet port for each container, an independently operable valve foreach of said ports, and means including a pair of rods extendinglongitudinally through the standard and operatively connected to therespective valves for actuating said valves.

2. A soap dispenser comprising a base, a hollow standard carried by saidbase, fluid containers carried by the upper end of said standard, anoutlet port formed in the bottom of each of said containers, downwardlyseating valves extending through the containers for closing said outletports, means for normally holding said valves in closed position, andmeans including rods extending longitudinally through said standard andoperatively connected with the valves for opening said valves.

3. A soap dispenser comprising a base, a hollow standard carried by saidbase, fluid containers carried by said standard, an outlet port in eachof said containers, a valve for closing each of said outlet ports, meansfor normally holding said valves in closed position, means includingrods extending through the standard and operatively connected with saidvalves for opening said valves, and outwardly and upwardly extendingdispensing tubes carried by each of said containers and communicatingwith said outlet ports.

4. A soap dispenser comprising a base, a standard carried by said base,fluid containers carried by said standard, an outlet port in each ofsaid containers, a separate valve for each of said outlet ports, meansfor normally holding said valves in closed position, foot-operated meansfor opening said valves, and outwardly and upwardly extending dispensingtubes communicating with said outlet ports and swivelly connected tosaid fluid containers for swinging in a substantially horizontal plane.

5. A soap dispenser comprising a base, a hollow standard carriedthereby, fluid containers carried by said standard, an outlet port inthe bottom of each of said containers, valves including stems extendedthrough the containers for controlling the flow of fluid through saidoutlet ports, means for normally holding said valves in closed position,means including rods extended through said standard and rocker armsoperatively connecting the rods with said valve stems for opening saidvalves, and outwardly and upwardly extending telescopic dispensing tubesin communication with said outlet ports carried by said containers.

6. A soap dispenser comprising a base, a standard carried thereby, fluidcontainers each having a top and a bottom carried by said standard, an

outlet port formed in said bottom, an upwardly and outwardly extendingtelescopic dispensing tube communicating with said outlet swivellycarried by said bottom, a valve extending through said top for openingand closing said outlet port,

a rocker arm pivotally carried intermediate its ends by said top andhaving one of its ends pivotally connected to said valve, a rodextending through said standard pivotally secured at its upper end tothe remaining end of the rocker arm, a lever pivotally mounted at oneend in said base and projecting therefrom, a pivotal connection betweensaid lever and the lower end of said rod, and resilient means for urgingsaid rod upwardly, whereby said valve is normally held in closedposition.

7. In a device of the character described, a base, a hollow standard onthe base, a closed fluid container carried by the standard having anoutlet port, a downwardly closing valve in the port having a stemprojecting through the top of the container, a rocker arm rockinglymounted on the container and having one end pivotally connected to thevalve stem, a rod extended through said standard and pivotally connectedto the other end of the rocker arm, and means for actuating said rod tooperate the valve.

8. In a device of the character described, a base, a hollow standard onthe base having a web, a closed fluid container carried by the standardhaving an outlet port, a downwardly closing valve in the port having astem projecting through the top of the container and having one endpivotally connected to the valve stem, a rod extended through saidstandard and web and pivotally connected to the other end of the rockerarm, a stop member on the rod above said web, resilient means betweenthe stop member and web for moving the rod in one direction to close thevalve, and treadle mechanism operatively connected to the rod for movingthe rod in the opposite direction to open the valve.

9. In a device of the character described, a base, a hollow standard onthe base, a closed fluid container carried by the standard having anoutlet port in its bottom, an annular boss surrounding said port andhaving a lateral branch communicating the container with the support, atube concentric with the container sealingly engaging the boss andextending upwardly through the top of the container, a downwardlyclosing valve in the port having a stern projecting through said tube,an arm rockingly mounted on the container having one end pivotallyconnected to the valve stem, a rod extended through said standard andpivotally connected to the other end of the arm, and means for actuatingthe rod to operate the valve.

10. In a device of the character described, a

container having a fluid outlet port, a valve in said container fornormally closing said port, means associated with the container foroperating said valve to allow fluid to flow from the container throughsaid port, a dispensing tube communicating with the port and extendingradially from the container, and a nozzle telescopingly slidablerelatively to the dispensing tube and having an outlet end located abovethe horizontal level of the valve to prevent flow therefrom when thevalve is closed.

11. In a device of the character described, a container having a fluidoutlet port, a valve in said container normally closing said port, meansassociated with the container for operating said valve to allow fluid toflow from the container through said port, a dispensing tubecommunicating with the port and extending radially from the container, anozzle telescopingly slidable relatively to the dispensing tube andhaving an outlet end located above the horizontal level of the valve toprevent flow therefrom when the valve is closed, and means forswingingly supporting said dispensing tube on the container whereby thenozzle is movable in a horizontal direction.

12. In a fluid dispenser of the character described, a base, a standardcarried by the base, a bottom member fixed to the upper end of thestandard having an annular flange forming a seat and having a fluidoutlet port therein, a cylindrical transparent tube having its lower endsupported on said seat, a cap member having an annular flange engagingthe upper end of said cylindrical member, means for securing the capmember to the bottom member to retain said cylindrical tube in sealingrelation with said seat to form a fluid container, a valve controllingsaid port, and means for operating the valve to dispense fluid from thecontainer through said port.

13. A fluid dispenser of the character described comprising a base, atubular standard carried by the base, a fluid container supported on theupper end of the standard and having an outlet port, a valve normallyclosing said port, a reciprocable member operable in said standard,means for directly connecting the upper end of the reciprocable memberto said valve, a foot pedal pivotally supported on the base, and meansoperably connecting the foot pedal with the lower end of saidreciprocable member so that operation of the foot pedal directly openssaid valve to allow fluid to flow through said port.

NEWTON S. HILLYARD.

